Heal the Bay Blog

The tallies are in for the 26^th annual Coastal Cleanup Day, says Communications Director Matthew King. It’s a landslide for cigarette butts and ammunition! 

Sept. 19, 2015 – Some people are political junkies. But we’re unabashed trash junkies here at Heal the Bay. And today’s Coastal Cleanup Day is an Election Night of sorts for our merry band of ocean lovers. After months of preparation, we all eagerly await turnout figures and the total pounds of debris collected in L.A. County, which we oversee for the California Coastal Commission.

Like a campaign manager, I spent the morning canvassing our precincts. Then I headed to the main office, where site captains phoned in results from our 50 cleanup locations, which ranged from Compton to Malibu.

Well, the preliminary numbers are in: 9,475 volunteers removed 21,310 pounds of trash, covering 60 miles of territory. That haul adds to an already impressive amount of trash collected by Heal the Bay during Coastal Cleanup Day over the past 26 years – more than 1.7 million pounds.

Everyday items comprise the bulk of the debris – cigarette butts, food wrappers, bits of Styrofoam, plastic bottle caps and the like. Scattered in piles to be weighed, this detritus looks like an archaeological dig, a telling testament to our throwaway culture and how we treat our natural places.

That said, a few unusual items made this year’s blotter of found objects. The mayor of Agoura found a wallet that contained $100 at our Medea Creek site in the West Valley, and she vows to try and reunite the owner and the trashy billfold. Among other unusual items: five .45 bullets (Redondo Beach Pier dive site), a bowling ball (Malaga Cove) and a dead rooster (Arroyo Seco/L.A. River confluence).

At my first stop this morning, the Hermosa Beach Pier, we didn’t find anything too unusual — unless you count a dead creature on the shoreline that looked like some kind of eel. 

I’ve been to hundreds of cleanups during my tenure here, and I can get jaded sometimes. But today’s cleanup at Hermosa reminded me once again about what makes Heal the Bay tick:

We are a volunteer-driven organization. When I arrived at the Pier, I saw Eric Schlobohm, a veteran member of our Speakers Bureau, giving a cleanup-safety talk to three families. Tanned with salt-and-pepper hair, Eric looked the part in his faded, vintage Heal the Bay T-shirt and flip flops. He succinctly explained how pollution reaches the sea, the impacts it has on wildlife, and what people can do in their everyday lives to reduce it. People like Eric are the heart of Heal the Bay.

We are educators, as much as activists. It was gratifying to see so many parents bringing their children to the cleanup in Hermosa. The kids ran toward the shore with infectious glee, looking for a piece of trash to impress Mom or Dad. They asked thoughtful questions when they brought back their trash to be catalogued. We know we aren’t going to clean up all the trash in L.A. County in a single day. But we do know that connecting young minds to the natural world is a smart thing to do. Today we hopefully sparked a lifetime sense of curiosity and stewardship in developing minds.

We attract cool people. Heal the Bay is fortunate to have the support of dozens of notable artists, entertainers, eco-entrepreneurs, writers and athletes. This morning, Bruna Schmitz, a pro surfer and “Roxy Girl,” came by to lend a hand at the Pier. Given her job, it should come as no surprise that she’s drop-dead gorgeous and a world-class shredder. But what strikes me about Bruna is that she’s tremendously down-to-Earth. She’s thankful to be connected to the sea on many levels.  Born in Brazil but now a Hermosa Beach resident, Bruna worked in tandem with HTB board member Kari Boiler. Together, they removed six pounds of ocean-bound debris from the sand.

Each of the 243 volunteers at the Hermosa Beach cleanup will go home with a story. But the biggest winner is the beach itself, now 400 lbs. less trashy, thanks to those 243.

Scenes like the below played out at all our sites this morning. Check them out in our Flickr album.

And one final shameless plug for our sponsors: California Coastal Commission, County of Los Angeles’ Department of Public Works, Union Bank, Mattel, City of Santa Monica, Kaiser Permanente, REI, AB InBev, simplehuman and KTLA. None of this good work could happen without their support.

Not to worry, if you missed today’s cleanup. You can still do your part. Our Programs staff hosts monthly beach cleanups throughout the year all over L.A. County. Come join us. You might be surprised about what you find.

If you’d like to support the work of Heal the Bay, please consider making a donation by clicking below.

Desalination is not a cure-all, writes our science and policy chief Rita Kampalath.

It costs too much.  The price of a gallon of water produced by a new desal plant in Carlsbad is expected to cost twice as much as a gallon derived from recycled water, and three times or more than a gallon sourced from groundwater storage, or conservation through programs like turf replacement rebates. For desal plants to make financial sense, cities must agree typically to long-term contracts. Given our boom-and-bust rain cycles in California, we will surely see more deluges in years to come. The fixed costs of desal plants won’t just go away in rainy years when their water isn’t needed.

It uses too much energy. Currently, the most energy-intensive portion of our water supply is the water that we import from Northern California through the State Water Project and the Colorado River. That water has to travel over 600 miles to get to us, yet it still uses less energy per gallon (though not by much) than desalinating ocean water. Desalination simply can’t compare to relatively low-energy water supplies like groundwater or stormwater capture (or just using less water, which takes no energy at all!) More energy means higher costs, but it also means more greenhouse gases.

It kills marine life. Ocean intakes can suck up millions of gallons of seawater daily, along with any marine life unlucky enough to be in close proximity. Subsurface intakes extract water underneath the seabed or nearby beach and have less negative impacts to animals. But both methods leave an enormous by-product of salty brine, a toxic by-product that is challenging to dispose of.  Unfortunately, many facilities want to use surface intakes because they can be cheaper and tend to have a greater capacity. California’s recently adopted desalination policy mandates that facilities use subsurface intakes when possible, but we’re wary that the desal industry will find loopholes.

It takes too long. From start to finish, getting a desalination plant up and running is at least a multi-year process. Construction on the Carlsbad plant started in 2012, and isn’t expected to be completed until later this year – and that doesn’t take into account all the planning and design that had to happen as well. This drought is happening now, and it’s just a simple fact that desalination can’t start quickly enough to help. And as crazy as it seems right now, in a year or two, we may be out of the drought, especially with forecasters predicting El Nino conditions. We don’t want to commit ourselves to spending over a billion dollars on something that we may not even need by the time it’s completed.

It eclipses better options.  The Carlsbad plant, which is the largest plant in the Western hemisphere, can only produce about 7% of San Diego’s water supply! How about we use that billion dollars to cut down our water usage by that percentage instead? Let’s invest in proven processes that are more efficient, take less money and have much less negative impacts on the environment. Instead of building desal plants, we should be investing in facilities that capture and reuse of urban runoff, as well as fast-tracking the recycling of highly treated wastewater from Hyperion and other plants. 

Heal the Bay board member and former DWP chief David Nahai knows his water. Here he shares how L.A. will beat the drought.

Aug. 11, 2015 — As a former CEO of the LADWP and former Chair of the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board, David Nahai has a unique perspective on Southern California’s water woes. Urbane and erudite, the London School of Economics-trained attorney has been a longtime Heal the Bay board member. Both a pragmatist and an optimist, he firmly believes that L.A. can fix its water woes if its leaders act decisively today. He recently shared his views with Heal the Bay’s communications director, Matthew King.

Heal the Bay: Do people in L.A. even know where the water comes from?

David Nahai: Generally, no. The history of L.A, which is inextricably linked to our relationship with water, is not generally taught in our schools, nor is there an ongoing, ever present campaign to inform the public.  Public outreach efforts surface only during shortages. That may have been fine while our imported water was cheap and plentiful and droughts were periodic occurrences. But importing 90% of our water supply is no longer a sustainable model.  Climate change and other factors necessitate a fundamental change.  We must conserve more and produce more local resources (from wastewater recycling, stormwater capture, aquifer remediation, infrastructure repair, new building standards and so on).  This shift will require an investment, which, in turn, must have public support.  So, having an informed, engaged public is essential. 

HTB: Do you dislike the word drought? Does it imply something temporary?

Nahai: This drought has galvanized attention and mobilized action in a remarkable way.  I would not jettison the word because it technically describes the current condition.  Rather, the messaging around the word has to convey the fact that we are in uncharted territory, that, with the advent of climate change,  this could well be our “new normal.” 

HTB: Is agriculture being scapegoated by media or given a free ride by water regulators? Or something in between? 

Nahai: Some facts are undeniable: Ag does account for the vast bulk of water used in California; some farmers do lag behind in adopting modern, efficient irrigation techniques, as well as farm runoff control practices; the water rights system in California is inequitable and must be revisited; and the farm lobby is a formidable force in Sacramento.  On the other hand, Ag is important to us economically, historically, and culturally; it employs many people who need and deserve our protection; and possible impacts on food prices resulting from greater regulation must be considered.  It is encouraging to see the administration take action to restrict water use by the senior rights holders, and the voluntary cut backs offered by the senior holders are certainly welcome.  But finger pointing won’t solve the problem.  Rather, all interests must contribute to the solution.

HTB: Is desalination our savior or the definition of insanity?

Nahai:   Ocean desal must be our last resort in LA.  It remains the most expensive, most energy intensive, most environmentally impactful alternative.  While our conservation record is good compared to other U.S. cities, it is not impressive judged against the levels reached by Israel, Australia and other countries. Further, our rate of wastewater recycling is very low; we fail to retain the rainfall that we do receive (allowing it instead to run untreated to the coast only to pollute our beaches and marine environment); our San Fernando Valley groundwater basin is contaminated; and our infrastructure is deteriorating.  Addressing these challenges has to be our first priority.  

HTB: What’s the biggest obstacle? Money? Complacency? Political Will? Technology?

Nahai: I believe the main obstacle is money.  While there are pots of money that agencies can look to, such as Prop 1, to defray some of the cost of the various steps outlined above, it appears to me that water rate increases will be necessary.  LADWP has started to present its case for rate increases.  I hope, and believe, that Angelenos will support the necessary investments.

HTB: What are the consequences realistically if we don’t? Are we all moving to Portland?

Nahai:  If we don’t act now, our future choices may be limited, drastic, and financially wrenching.  But let’s not dwell on failure; it’s not an option.  L.A. has clear measures that it can take to conserve water and produce local water, thus gaining some level of independence from imported water.  It needs to seize the opportunity.

HTB: Why is Heal the Bay positioned to change the dialogue and encourage massive investment in more local water? 

Nahai: Heal the Bay is the leading environmental organization in Southern California on water.  Its voice is trusted and its opinions are respected.  Thus, Heal the Bay enjoys tremendous political capital which can be deployed to compel needed action.  With this power comes responsibility.  I believe that Heal the Bay has an obligation to lead – because it can.

July 5, 2015 — Lots of math and a sunny day at the beach.

Doesn’t sound like a match made in heaven, does it? Well, it is for our science and policy staff, who went public this week with a long-in-the-works project – a new statistical model that lets us predict beach water quality.

We’ve just taken the wraps off our “nowcasting” tool, which will allow visitors to some of Southern California’s most polluted beaches to access real-time beach water-quality data online before they hit – or don’t hit – the water.

We’ve spent the past two years working with researchers at Stanford University, who have developed, refined and validated statistical models that provide beach water-quality information similar to a daily weather forecast.

Working closely with researchers at UCLA and Stanford, Heal the Bay is overseeing a pilot program this summer that predicts good or poor water quality for the day at three beaches that have historically struggled with bacterial pollution: Doheny State Beach in Orange County, Santa Monica Beach at the Santa Monica Pier and Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara County.

The nowcasts are based on the results of predictive computer models that estimate fecal bacteria levels in the surf zone in real time, based on both water quality data (most recent samples and historic trends) and weather conditions (rain, wind and waves). The new tool is a significant improvement from current monitoring and notification methods, which can take days to complete.

Since Memorial Day, Heal the Bay has been running a multiple linear regression model for each of the three pilot beaches on a daily basis to confirm the accuracy of the predictions. Early results have been very promising, with researchers able to successfully predict three significant bacterial exceedances at Santa Monica Beach 24 hours before authorities posted warnings near the Pier.

Heal the Bay is now working directly with local government agencies to provide them nowcast data by 10 a.m. each day. By comparing these computer results to the state’s bacteria health standards, agencies can post warning notices in the morning if warranted, before most people arrive at the beach.

Swimmers at beaches riddled with bacterial pollution face a much higher risk of contracting illnesses such as stomach flu, ear infections, upper respiratory infections and skin rashes.

Starting today, ocean users can now visit www.beachreportcard.org to access the nowcasts at the three beaches. Sites are clearly marked as “good” or “poor,” depending on whether the model predicts bacterial levels will exceed state health standards.

Currently, local health agencies throughout coastal California use laboratory analyses of water samples collected at the beach to determine if it is safe for recreational use. Unfortunately, there is a long delay in this approach. It typically takes 24-48 hours to collect the samples, transport them to the lab and analyze the beach water samples. Meanwhile, water quality can change with environmental conditions and swimmers can be put at risk of illness.

In response, researchers have developed the more timely predictive model, which has been used successfully in the Great Lakes region, on the coast of Scotland and at Hong Kong beaches.

If all contiues to go well, we hope to secure future funding to expand the nowcasting model statewide next summer.

The nowcasting tool augments Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card program, which provides A-to-F water quality grades to more than 400 beaches statewide based on weekly levels of monitored bacterial pollution.

Available online, these weekly grades have become a valuable public health tool for beachgoers all over California. The grading is important because it holds authorities accountable, and has spurred remediation efforts at dozens of chronically polluted beaches.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Leslie Griffin, our staffer who is overseeing the initiative.

With a 25% cut in water use by cities now ordered by the state, L.A. can be a lot smarter in a time of perilous drought. Here are some wise investments to make right now.

California faces an uncertain water future. The record drought coupled with climate change and other stressors has called into question the practicality of importing nearly 90% of L.A.’s water supply. Simply put, being able to rely on imported water in the future is an uncertain and dangerous proposition. Instead, our region needs to be smarter about maximizing the water that we already have.

We’re often asked if desalination is the answer. Unfortunately, desal plants are not some sort of silver bullet. The plants are incredibly energy intensive, expensive to build and operate, and create a whole slew of environmental challenges. Instead, our region needs to be smarter about maximizing the water that we already have.

The adage of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” applies just as neatly to water as it does to durable goods. The first step in fighting drought is reducing demand. For example, irrigation for landscaping still accounts for more than 50% of urban water use in our arid climate. We can all do better to get on a serious water diet, such as ripping out water-intensive turf. But on the other side of the equation, the region must start to get serious about investing in projects that will augment supply in a smart way.

Heal the Bay is actively engaged in determining L.A.’s water future. Here is what we believe the region needs to start doing today to sustain our water needs in the future:

#1: CAPTURING STORMWATER AND OTHER URBAN RUNOFF 

Wasteful: Each day roughly 10 million gallons of urban runoff flows through L.A County stormdrains, picking up pollutants and eventually reaching the ocean without the benefit of any treatment. It’s why many of our beaches, rivers and creeks remain chronically polluted. This pollution along our shorelines is terrible, but the waste of water in a time of extreme drought is equally maddening.

Smart: Capturing that runoff, cleaning it, and using it to augment regional water supplies.

The potential: After a storm, as much as 10 billion gallons of water is wasted flowing into the sea from urban runoff. That’s enough to fill 100 Rose Bowls! Up to 630,000 acre feet per year could potentially be generated by better stormwater capture and reuse in the state, according to estimates by the NRDC. This volume is roughly equal to the amount of water used by the entire city of Los Angeles annually.  Using this water for non-potable uses and groundwater recharge can greatly increase local water supplies.

How to get there: It will take significant resolve and funding, but watershed management plans that prioritize green infrastructure and multi-benefit stormwater capture projects must be embraced. Portland and Philadelphia are doing it, and so can we.

What Heal the Bay is doing: Our policy team is working to ensure stormwater management planning and implementation includes multi-benefit solutions that improve greenspace, beautify communities, and capture water onsite for reuse or recharging groundwater.  Our staff scientists are working with state and local governments to find creative ways to fund stormwater programs. We hope to get funding in place before 2020.

#2: RECYCLING TREATED WASTEWATER 

Wasteful: Each day, wastewater treatment plants send hundreds of millions of gallons of highly treated wastewater into local rivers and the Pacific Ocean. It’s not helping the sea, and it’s certainly not helping us combat drought.

Smart:  Using reclaimed wastewater to offset potable water demand and replenish our regional groundwater basins.

The potential: Each day the Hyperion Treatment Plant discharges more than 250 million gallons of wastewater into Santa Monica Bay. If all of Hyperion’s water was treated to a higher standard, it could be recycled and substantially reduce the region’s reliance on imported water and simultaneously bolster regional water supplies, eventually supplying enough water for daily use by 1 million people.

How to get there:  We need to reuse every drop of water we have, rather than just importing increasingly scarce water from outside Southern California.  Orange County residents have been sourcing drinking water from local aquifers recharged with highly treated reclaimed water since the 1970s.  Los Angeles needs to follow Orange County’s lead, and move beyond “toilet to tap” fears.  We prefer Mayor Garcetti’s term: showers to flowers. This effort will require us to clean up our contaminated aquifers (see below).

What Heal the Bay is doing: We continue to advocate for increasing recycled water use, such as the implementation of the Los Angeles Groundwater Replenishment Project, which will use up to 30,000 acre-feet per year of highly purified water from the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant to replenish the San Fernando Groundwater Basin. Environmental review is already underway, and the city of Los Angeles hopes to meet this goal by 2035 or sooner.

#3: CLEANING UP OUR LOCAL AQUIFERS

Wasteful:   Contaminated plumes continue to expand in aquifers in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, infringing on and reducing groundwater that is available to greater Los Angeles. Much of our groundwater contamination is due to historic improper handling and disposal of industrial chemicals.

Smart: Removing pollutants from groundwater basins in order to enhance available storage space for stormwater and reclaimed water recharge.

The potential: The city of Los Angeles has the rights to pump up to 87,000 acre-feet of water annually. That’s enough water to meet the demands of the greater L.A. Basin for two months out of the year.

How to get there:  We need to find the funding to clean up our groundwater basins. Investment is necessary to allow for our local aquifers to be used to their fullest extent in the future.

What Heal the Bay is doing: Our advocacy staff supports funding through state bond money and the Metropolitan Water District to help clean up the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley aquifers. LADWP hopes to have two San Fernando Valley aquifer remediation facilities in operation by 2022.

Improved water supply and improved water quality are inextricably linked. Heal the Bay will continue to advocate for smart projects that help us achieve both goals. The drought will require sacrifice and investment. Let’s just make sure we are investing wisely.

Why dump highly treated wastewater from Hyperion into the sea instead of using it to recharge local aquifers? 

Illustrations by Jenny Adams

Photo courtesy of LA DPW

Kids Ocean Day is returning to Dockweiler Beach on May 14, writes founder and today’s guest blogger Michael Kublock. It does take a village to heal the bay…

May 8, 2015 — It’s May, which for all of us at the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education means one thing: Kids Ocean Day. This Thursday, we will bring more than 3,500 students from more than 30 L.A. schools to Dockweiler Beach for a massive cleanup and to participate in an aerial artwork display, designed by a Los Angeles student and brought to life by aerial artist John Quigley.

We believe that education + action = protection. So every year, we educate Los Angeles schoolchildren about the ocean and litter through school assemblies. Then, every May, we bring all of those kids, teachers and volunteers to Dockweiler State Beach to give them a platform for action.

After 22 years, you’d think it would be old hat, but every Kids Ocean Day is unique. This year during the assemblies we noticed how personally each kid and each school felt about the ocean. They also had their own ideas about how people can come together to clean it up and protect it for generations to come. That got us thinking: How can we honor the importance of individual vision and the power of uniting for a common cause?

That question inspired some changes to this year’s Kids Ocean Day. For example, we’re adding a moment of silence and a short mindfulness practice. We’re also switching up the aerial art. In the past, we had all the participants mix together to create one message. This year, each school will form its own fish, which will “swim” together with the other schools’ fishes, to form a united school of fish. It makes sense. When it comes to protecting our ocean, our individual efforts are essential, but when we band together we can amplify our message and collectively create a beautiful world to live in.

We’re really excited about this year’s Kids Ocean Day—but we’re excited every year. We’d love for you to join us in protecting our ocean.

To volunteer for the day, email us at volunteers@kidsoceanday.org.

Kids Ocean Day is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Stormwater Program, a project of the Bureau of Sanitation, the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works, as well as the California Coastal Commission, Keep LA Beautiful and Spectral Q.

Kids Ocean Day from above. Photo Credit: Jeff Pantukhoff, Spectral Q, Kids Ocean Day